Marcoleta says potential witnesses in flood control issue sent ‘feelers’

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Rodante Marcoleta on Wednesday said potential witnesses for the probe into questionable flood control projects have sent him feelers, and that some of them are contractors.

Marcoleta, however, told reporters that he first wants to see the extent of these individuals' knowledge regarding the supposedly ghost or substandard projects. 

“Merong mga feelers kaya lang ang aking sinasabi, gusto ko muna makita ‘yung extent ng kanilang sasabihin… Eh kung wala namang bago, paano naman ‘yun? So pinaka-maganda ma-determine natin—ano ba sasabihin mo, meron ka bang ituturo, magtatapat ka ba? Tapos saka natin titimbangin,” the senator said in an ambush interview. 

(There are feelers, but I want to see first the extent of what they have to say... If there's nothing new, what should we do? So it's best for us to determine what they are going to say, if they will pinpoint somebody, or if they will disclose something. After that, we will weigh it.) 

Marcoleta earlier disclosed that some individuals linked to the flood control projects had already flown out of the country amid the ongoing probe. 

He added that the Blue Ribbon Committee may request a lookout order, but has no power to issue a hold departure order.

He expressed hope that these individuals will return to the country to attend the hearings. 

“Hindi naman ibig sabihin lumabas dahil doon, merong nandun sa ibang bansa. Malay mo baka umuwi naman sila. Hindi ko naman sinabi na nagtago o kusang tumakas, hindi. Kasi sa impormasyon, hinahanap na kung present sila, may nagsasabing nasa ibang bansa. ‘Yun lang,” Marcoleta added. 

(This doesn't mean that they intentionally left the country but some of them are already not here. There’s still a chance that they will go back here. I didn’t say that they’re now hiding or running away, but based on information, they’re already out of the country. That’s it.) 

Economic loss 

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson also lamented the economic losses from ghost flood control projects, but stressed that the government may be committing a “bigger crime” against the Filipinos if the perpetrators remain unpunished. 

“If no one is punished accordingly, this will encourage many to engage in corruption because they can get away with it,” he said.

The Department of Finance (DOF) estimated that the economic loss resulting from "ghost" flood control projects may have reached about P42.3 billion to P118.5 billion from 2023 to 2025.

The economic cost is equivalent to 95,000 to 266,000 jobs that could have benefited Filipinos.

Reform 

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto called for a top-to-bottom reform for both the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), adding that the law on PCAB must be amended.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay on Wednesday, Sotto claimed that the Blue Ribbon Committee intends to look into the way PCAB accredits its contractors, and raised concerns regarding “conflict[s] of interest” within the PCAB board.

“Ang palusot, requirement sa batas kailangan contractor ang member ng board. Correct, [pero] di porket contractor ka, member ka na ng board. Dapat yan, magdidivest ka. Inappoint ka na ng gobyerno, ng president. Automatically, magdadivest ka ng mga [proyekto] at di ka na pwede mangontrata sa gobyerno,” he shared.

(Their loophole was that the law required the board members to be contractors. Correct, [but] just because you are a contractor does not mean you are now a member of the board. You must divest. You are appointed by the government, the president. Automatically, you must divest [projects] and you can no longer strike contracts with the government.)

“We need to amend [the PCAB Law], at tsaka merong tinatawag na transparency at tyaka ethics sa mga ganyang government officials na appointed. Dapat talaga yung PCAB, baguhin na natin yung batas. Linawin na natin kasi 1965 ito [nagawa],” he added.

(We need to amend [the PCAB Law], and we also have what we call transparency and ethics for appointed government officials. The PCAB law must really be changed. We must clarify this since this was [made] in 1965.)

Sotto also pointed out PCAB allowing licenses for all of Sarah Discaya’s nine construction companies, noting that the board members “interlock.”

He said that this was material misrepresentation, and that he believed it was not limited only to Discaya’s companies.

He also shared that the Senate has identified some of the top 15 contractors who are using “dummies” as company owners, and that government officials may possibly be involved.

“Dito sa top 15, meron kaming alam. Di lang suspetya. Meron kaming alam na at least three o four doon ay yung mga nakalistang pangalan ay di talagang may-ari. May possibility, iniimbestigahan pa [at] may underground investigation din yan, merong mga malalaking contractor na nasa likod ng iba doon. Pero yung iba naman sa kanila, talagang hindi yun. Garantisadong dummy. I cannot name names now. Let us wait on Monday, baka sakaling doon pwede,” Sotto said.

(Within the top 15, we already know some. It’s not just suspicion. We know at least three or four that listed names of people who aren’t really the owners. There’s a possibility, we’re still investigating and conducting an underground investigation too, that there are big contractors behind some of those, but some others of them aren’t really them. Guaranteed dummies. I cannot name names now. Let us wait on Monday, perhaps then I can.)

“It's possible [that government officials are actual contractor owners]. I’m not saying [it is] confirmed, I’m saying it’s possible,” he added.

Dummies

Senator Risa Hontiveros also alleged that Wawao Builders owner Mark Allan Arevalo and St. Timothy Construction Corporation owner Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando were not the real “brains of the operation” of their companies based on their testimonies in the hearing. 

“Both have admitted to being relatives of contractors. In Rimando’s case, Sarah Discaya outright said during the hearing that she was the ‘part-owner’ of St. Timothy Construction, despite Rimando’s official title. Galing mismo yan sa kanilang mga bibig [that came right out of their mouths],” Hontiveros said. 

She said that the next hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee should not solely focus on these so-called dummies. 

“Sa susunod na hearing, dapat malantad at maibilad kung sino ang mga tunay na mga kontraktor at promotor ng scam. Hindi ako kuntento kung ang imbestigasyon ay tungkol sa mga dummy lang,” she added. 

(In the next hearing, the real contractors and promoters of the scam should be exposed. I am not satisfied if the investigation is only about the dummies.) 

Lifestyle checks

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, for his part, urged the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct lifestyle checks on public officials in a bid to fight corruption.

“I’d really like for you to consider lifestyle checks. Kasi kung wala, [if there’s none] there’s no deterrent,” the senator said, emphasizing that this would help verify whether a public official’s actual lifestyle aligns with what’s declared in his/her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

To recall, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered lifestyle checks on all officials amid the investigation into anomalous flood control projects in the country. 

Cayetano also called on public servants to live simply and avoid ostentatious displays of wealth amid the flood control issue. — BM, GMA Integrated News